“Oh yes. Is this a busy road? Great. Axel will want to play tag, and we are it.” I took a step closer and Axel twisted in a circle and barked.

“Does he play fetch?” Austin seemed to be asking me questions for Axel’s first day of puppy daycare, not figuring out how to help grab this dingbat.

“Depends on his mood. Sometimes.” I folded my arms and looked away. Sometimes if I pretended not to know him, Axel would forgo tag for jump up and slobber—another favorite.

Austin nodded. “Be right back.”

He went into his car from the passenger side. He dug around under the seat and presented a tennis ball. He left the passenger door open.

Axel’s whole demeanor locked on the ball. Austin noticed, too, and tossed it in the air.

Axel got closer. Austin tossed it up again. Axel bounced around like his legs were made of Tigger’s tail.

Austin feigned a toss, and Axel was on his mark. He couldn’t be fooled. If you didn’t toss it, he wouldn’t run.

I sidestepped in Axel’s direction.

Austin spoke out of the side of his mouth, “On three, I’m going to toss it into the car. Then you and I are going to make sure to herd him in.”

Austin counted it down and tossed the ball. I went to the back of his car and he went to the front. Both of us put out our arms to dissuade Axel from detouring to the road.

Axel hopped into the backseat like it was the easiest thing. He sat up and had the tennis ball in his mouth.

“You jerk. Did you drag Raven’s arm out of the socket?” I reached into the car and petted his big dumb head.

Austin came close to me and let Axel sniff his hand before trying to lick him with the ball still in his mouth. “Oh. He’s freaking adorable. I love Labs. They are such chaos.”

Axel must have been toward the end of his jaunt because he was breathing really hard.

“I’m sorry, he’s drooling on your seats.” I had no way to clean it at all.

“No, don’t worry about it. Making sure Axel doesn’t become a pancake is totally worth having to detail the CRX.” Austin made sure to block Axel’s way out of the car, even though the pup was clearly tired. “You get in, and I’ll close the door. Then once you have his collar, give me a thumbs-up and I’ll get in the driver’s side.”

I did as he suggested, and as I gave Austin a thumbs-up, I realized that I was going to have to take Axel home. And it would be the first time any of my friends had ever been at my house. My stomach dropped to my feet. I was all of a sudden very, very concerned.

9

AUSTIN